Music-stand and leaf-turning apparatus.



J. A. PALMER.

MUSIC STAND AND LEAF TURNING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED I'EB. 24, 1911.

Wit: Misses Zfowa Q W MX Patented NOV. 14, 1911.

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COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH $0., WASHINGTON. D. c.

James flaronPaZmen J. A. PALMER.

MUSIC STAND AND LEAF TURNING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24, 1911.

Patented Nov. 14, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J. A. PALMER.

MUSIC STAND AND LEAP TURNING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24, 1911.

1,008,671 Patented Nov. 14,1911.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

' E e WI/ZH8SS88 Jams .flaronPaZmen coLUMIFlA PLANOGRAPN CO.,WASHING1ON. D. C.

UNITED STATES T ()FFICE.

JAMES AARON PALMER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

MUSIC-STAND AND LEAF-TURNING APPARATUS.

Application filed February 24, 1911.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES AARON PALMER, a subject of the Czar of Russia, having declared my intention of becoming a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Music-Stands and Leaf-Turning Apparatus, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to leaf turning mechanism and more particularly to mech anism for turning the leaves of sheet music.

In order that the principle thereof may be readily understood, I have disclosed a single embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a front elevation of a leaf turning mechanism embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof; Fig. 8 is a plan view of a portion of the leaf turning mechanism with sheet music held thereby; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the music receiving stand and mechanism mounted thereon; Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a vertical section of the upper part of the music receiving stand; Fig. 7 is a rear view, partially in vertical section, of the upper portion of the leaf receiving stand; Fig. 8 is a detail showing the turned leaf holding means; Fig. 9 is an enlarged plan view of one of the leaf holders and the leaf turning device; Fig. 10 is a front elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 9 and illustrating a plurality of leaf holders; Fig. 11 is an end elevation looking to the left of the construction shown in Fig. 10; Fig. 12 is a sectional detail upon the line 1212 of Fig. 9; and Fig. 13 is a detail showing one of the leaf holders.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, that embodiment of my invention selected for illustration comprises a pedestal 1 supported upon a suitable base 2 and having at its upper end a head 3 carrying an enlargement 4: and supporting a music or book receiving frame or rack 5, the latter being removably supported upon the head, as illustrated in Fig. 6. The said rack 5 is preferably supported at a suitable incline to Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 14:, 1911. Serial No. 610,487.

permit the ready inspection of the music or reading matter received thereon and is provided with a suitable number of supports 6 against which the lower edge of the music or the like is received.

In accordance with the preferred embodiment of my invent-ion, the operating mechanism is largely concealed from view. To that end, the pedestal 1 is made hollow and is provided with a removable panel 7 preferably at the rear thereof. In order to operate the leaf turning mechanism, I preferably provide a pedal 8 formed as a lever pivoted at 9 in or to the base 2 and protruding at the front through a vertical slot 10 in said base. Secured to said pedal inter mediate its ends is a belt or other suitable flexible member here shown as a chain 11 passing about two guide pulleys 12, 12, shown most clearly in Fig. 7, and also about a third pulley 13 mounted upon a spindle 14 having suitable bearings interiorly of the frame or rack 5, as indicated in Fig. 6. The opposite end of said chain is provided with a coiled spring 15 attached interiorly to the pedestal as indicated at 16 in Fig. 7. The depression of the pedal 8 rotates the spindle 1 1 and parts mounted thereon and the spring 15 tends to restore the spindle to its former position. The slot 10 for the pedal is provided at its lower end with an enlargement 17, and the pedal is suiliciently loose upon its pivot 9 to permit the operator to impart a slight lateral movement to the pivot, so as to engage it with said enlargement 17 when depressed.

The vertical extent of the enlargement 17 is such that when the pedal is depressed to the bottom of the enlargement the turned leaf is then brought under a retaining dog hereinafter described. If, however, the pedal be not depressed to the bottom of said enlargement 17, but is held in position short of the bottom thereof, by foot pressure, then when the foot pressure is released, and the pedal 1s guided in its upward movement by foot pressure slightly to the right, viewing Fig. 1, the last turned leaf is automatically restored to unturned position; In other words, the extent of downward movement of the pedal determines whether or not the leaf shall be automatically restored to unturned position when foot pressure is released, or i whether it shall be held in turned position when foot pressure is released.

Upon the upper face of the frame or rack 5, I provide a suitable bracket 18 having mounted therein for rotation a short spindle 19 receiving thereon a suitable number of leaf holders 20, each of which is suitably formed at its outer or free end to engage a leaf of the music or other matter to be operated upon. Preferably each leaf holder is provided with an angularly extending part 21 slotted as indicated at 22, so that the lower edge of the leaf may be inserted there in and firmly held. Said leaf holders may be of any suitable material, such for example as thin sheet metal, and are made of a suflicient length to engage the leaf at some distance from its inner edge, so that it may be readily and effectively turned.

Extending laterally from and fast upon the spindle 14 is a leaf turning device here represented as an arm 23 having at or adjacent its outer end a leaf holder engaging member 24. This member is of a general pawl like construction and is suitably fashioned to engage in turn each of the leaf holder arms 20 at a distance sufliciently remote from its inner pivoted end. In the form of the invention here illustrated, the arm 23 is provided with an upright rod 25 receiving adjacent its lower end a collar 26 whereon the pawl like member 24 is pivoted, a coil spring 27 being provided to maintain said member 24 in the position shown in Fig. 11. Said member 24 is recessed or notched as indicated at 28, so as readily to engage in turn each leaf holder 20. It will therefore be evident that when the spindle 14 is rocked upon its axis by depressing the pedal 8, the leaf turning arm 23 is correspondingly oscillated, and that if the leaf holder 20 be engaged by its pawl like member 24, in the continued movement of said leaf turning arm 23, the said leaf holder and attached leaf will be turned from the position indicated at a in Fig. 3 to the position indicated at b in said figure.

In order to retain each leaf and its holder in turned position, I provide suitable mechanism shown most clearly in Figs. 5 and 8 as a dog 29 hinged at 30 at the upper end of a bracket or upright 31, a coil spring 32 being provided to maintain the dog in the position shown in Fig. 8. It is evident that as each leaf holder is engaged in turn beneath the lower edge 33 of said dog, it is thereby held in turned position. I have provided said dog with suitable means to render it inoperative, and in Fig. 8 have represented a lever 34 as pivoted thereto at 34 and having a manipulating arm 35 and an arm 36 to engage the bracket 31. If, therefore, the said dog be swung to the left, viewing Fig. 8, upon its pivot and the arm 35 of the lever 34 be moved downwardly in a contraclockwise direction, then the arm 36 of said lever holds the dog in inoperative position. I have provided suitable means for preliminarily positioning the leaf holders so as to bring them one by one under the influence of the leaf turning arm 23 and its member 24. While any suitable means may be employed for this purpose, I have in the present embodiment of my invention provided each of the leaf holding arms 20 adjacent its pivot with a segmental disk 37 having a portion 38 of greater radius, thereby presenting a shoulder 39. Each of the holders 20 is slitted adjacent its pivot 19 as represented at 40 for the reception of the disks 37 of the other holders.

Each disk 37 is rigidly secured to its holder 20, and the outer ends of the slits in said holders do not extend to a materially greater distance from the pivot 19 than the radius of the disks 37. Therefore as each arm 20 is turned upon the pivot 19, its disk 37 moves therewith until its shoulder 39 contacts with the under face of the next holder 20 just beyond the termination of its longitudinal slit 40. The result of this engagement of the shoulder 39 pertaining to one holder 20 with the next underlying holder 20 is to elevate said next holder 20 sufliciently to be engaged by the member 24 of the leaf turner 23 when the latter is returned to the position indicated in Fig. 10. Thus, each leaf holder 20 preliminarily positions the next holder in the series, so that it in turn may be engaged by the leaf turner and turned at the proper time.

It will be obvious that when the leaves of the book or music are positioned in their holders, the uppermost holder is manually positioned in engagement with the member 24 of the leaf turner 23, so that when the pedal 8 is first depressed, the uppermost leaf may be at once turned.

It will be evident from the foregoing description that the leaf or music turner embodying my invention is of simple, compact and attractive appearance, and that substantially none of the operating mechanism is exposed to view save the leaf holders and the leaf turning member itself. The connections from the pedal to the leaf turner may be entirely concealed and the standard in cluding the base, pedestal and desk portion thereof may be as ornamental as desired without interfering in any way with the operation of the mechanism. Owing to the simplicity and compactness of the mechanism, it is obvious that disarrangement thereof cannot readily occur. Furthermore, it is obvious that the mechanism may be constructed at relatively low cost. A suflicient number of leaf holders should, of course, be provided to meetall exigencies. It will furthermore be evident that by the provision of means permitting the turning back of the last turned leaf, I am enabled, when using my invention for turning music, to permit any part thereof to be repeated, as for example in chorus work.

Having thus described one illustrative embodiment of my invention, I desire it to be understood that although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims.

1. A leaf turning mechanism comprising in combination a plurality of pivoted leaf holding arms, each of said arms prior to the last having a disk and each of said arms subsequent to the first being recessed for the reception of the disk or disks of the preced ing arm or arms, a leaf turner adapted to engage successively with said holding arms and having a spindle, a band engaging said spindle and having a pedal connected thereto to impart leaf turning movement to said spindle, and means cooperating with said pedal to move the leaf turner in the opposite direction.

2. A leaf turning mechanism comprising in combination a plurality of pivoted leaf holding arms, each of said arms prior to the last having a disk and each of said arms subsequent to the first being recessed for the reception of the disk or disks of the preceding arm or arms, a leaf turner adapted to engage successively with said holding arms, a band engaging said leaf turner and having a pedal connected thereto, whereby upon depression of the pedal the leaf turner may be rotated in one direction, and a spring connected to said band to turn the leaf turner in the opposite direction.

3. A leaf turning mechanism comprising in combination a plurality of pivoted leaf holding arms, each of said arms prior to the last having a disk and each of said arms subsequent to the first being recessed for the reception of the disk or disks of the preceding arm or arms, a leaf turner adapted to engage successively with said holding arms and having a spindle provided with a pulley 13, guide pulleys 12, 12, mounted adjacent the pulley 13, a band 14 passing about said pulleys and having aspring 15 and a pedal 8 connected thereto at opposite end positions thereof.

4. A leaf turning mechanism comprising in combination a supporting frame or rack 5, a plurality of pivoted leafholding arms mounted to swing above the plane of the receiving face of said frame, each of said arms prior to the last having a disk and each of said arms subsequent to the first being recessed for the reception of the disk or disks of the preceding arm or arms, a leaf-turner movably mounted below said plane and adapted to engage successively with said holding arms, and having a spindle, a pulley 13 upon said spindle, and a band 11 passing about said pulley and having a pedal 8 and a spring 15 for respectively imparting rotative movement to said spindle in opposite directions.

5. A leaf turning mechanism including in combination a leaf turning device, means to move the same to turn the leaves, a leaf-retaining device 29 located in the path of the leaf turning device and operable thereby to retain said device and its leaf in turned position and means cooperating with said retaining device to render the same ineffective to retain the next turned leaf and its turning device.

6,. A leaf turning mechanism including in combination a leaf turning device, means to move the same to turn the leaves, a pivotally mounted leaf-retaining dog 29 located in the path of the leaf turning device and operable thereby to retain said device and its leaf in turned position, and manually operable means engaging said dog and adapted to move it upon its pivot, thereby to render it inefiective to retain the next turned leaf and its turning device.

7. Leaf-turning mechanism comprising in combination, a spindle having a leaf turner, a pedal having a band to rock said spindle, said mechanism being provided with a guiding slot 10 for said pedal, said slot having an enlargement 17 elongated in the direction of movement of said pedal to permit either partial or complete leaf-turning movement of the pedal therein, means cooperating with the pedal automatically to restore the latter to normal position from its limit of partial movement in said enlargement, thereby to return the leaf and its turner to normal po-.

sition, and means in the path of the leaf turner to retain said turner and its leaf in turned position when said pedal has made its complete leaf-turning movement in said enlargement 17.

8. A leaf turning mechanism comprising in combination a spindle having a leaf turner, a pivoted pedal 8 having a band operatively engaging and to rotate said spindle, a spring 15 cooperating with said band to reverse the direction of rotation of said spindle, a support having a guiding slot 10 provided with a longitudinally elongated enlargement 17 for the pedal, and a device for engaging turned leaves, the length of said enlargement 17 being such that when the pedal 10 is fully depressed therein, the turned leaf may be held and engaged by said device.

9. A leaf turning mechanism comprising in combination a spindle, a leaf turner carried thereby, a plurality of leaf holders adapted to be engaged by said leaf turner, a band operatively related to said spindle and having a spring and a pedal at opposite end portions thereof, thereby to rotate it in opposite directions, a retaining device for turned leaves, and a frame having a guiding slot 10 with an enlargement to receive and hold the pedal when fully de pressed, but permitting the return of the pedal by said spring when said pedal is no fully depressed.

10. A leaf turning mechanism comprising in combination a plurality of pivoted leaf holding arms, each of said arms prior to the last having a segmental disk projecting from its lower face when said arm is in normal position and provided with a shoulder in order preliminarily to position the next succeeding arm, a leaf turner to engage succes sively with said arms and means to operate said leaf turner.

11. A leaf turning mechanism comprising in combination a plurality of pivoted leaf holding arms, each of said arms prior to the last having a disk and each of said arms subsequent to the first being recessed for the reception of the disk or disks of the preceding arm or arms, a leaf turner adapted to engage successively with said holding arms, and means to operate said leaf turner.

12. A leaf turning mechanism comprising in combination a series of pivoted leaf turning arms, each arm prior to the last having a segment secured to its lower face only, each segment having a terminal shoulder to engage the next succeeding arm, and thereby preliminarily to position. the arms, and means to engage and turn said arms.

13. A leaf turning mechanism comprising in combination a plurality of pivoted leaf holding arms, each of said arms prior to the last having secured to its lower face only a segment terminating in a shoulder lying in the plane of the segment to engage and preliminarily to position the next succeeding arm, a leaf turner to successively engage said arms, and means to operate said leaf turner.

14. A leaf turning mechanism comprising in combination a plurality of pivoted leaf holding arms, each of said arms prior to the last having a disk secured thereto, said disks being of successively increasing radius, and each disk being shaped to engage and preliminarily to position the next succeeding arm, and means successively to engage and turn said arms.

15. A leaf turning mechanism comprising in combination a plurality of pivoted leaf holding arms, each of said arms prior to the last having a segmental disk attached to the lower face only of said arm, whereby when said arms occupy their normal posiiion the disks are below said arms, each disk being provided with a shoulder to engage and preliminarily to position the next succeeding arm, a pivoted leaf turning device adapted to engage successively with said arms, and means to oscillate said leaf turnin g device.

16. A leaf turning mechanism comprising in combination a plurality of substantially flat, pivoted, leaf turning arms longitudinally slotted at their pivotal ends, each of said arms prior to the last having a disk movable in the slot or slots of the succeeding disk or disks and provided with a shoulder to engage the next succeeding arm, so as preliminarily to position the same, and a movable leaf turner to engage successively with and turn said arms.

17. A leaf turning mechanism comprising in combination a frame or rack 5, a spindle 14 having a leaf turner 28, a plurality of leaf holders 20 pivoted upon an axis substantially parallel with the upper face of said frame, said holders being provided with disks 37, a band and pedal to rock said spindle and automatically to restore it to normal position, intercngaging provisions upon said disks and holders, whereby each holder as turned preliminarily positions the next underlying holder, a leaf retaining de vice in the path of the turned leaf and means in operative relation to said device and movable to render said device ineffective to engage the next leaf to be turned.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES AARON PALMER.

l Vitnesses IRVING U. TowNsnND, ROBERT H. KAMMLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

